How Little Blossom scaled efficiently from Singapore to Asia with Airwallex’s all-in-one solution

In 2019, Gillian Choo and Kwek Yi Jun left their stable jobs at Unilever to launch Little Blossom, a baby food retail company. 

Starting a new venture requires trial and error, and not just for product development. The Little Blossom team tried various banks and fintech providers as their business expanded from Singapore to Asia.

Gillian Choo

Co-founder

"When your business is growing quickly, you need reliable partners you can trust. Airwallex has been this, helping us scale efficiently from Singapore to Asia."

How did Little Blossom optimise for growth with Airwallex? 

1. Saved hours by streamlining accounting, employee expenses, and bill payments

2. Saved on SWIFT fees and forex fees for overseas transfers 

3. Reduced from 3 providers to an all-in-1 financial platform 

Challenge 1: Finding a solution that integrates seamlessly with Xero

Ever since Little Blossom started using Xero for their accounting, it's become a cornerstone of their bookkeeping and financial tracking. They knew they needed a fintech partner that could integrate with Xero, but finding a payments platform that could do so - while meeting all their financial needs - proved to be a challenge.

The team started out using separate providers for corporate cards, receiving customer payments, and sending international payments to suppliers. However, using these providers would mean manual bookkeeping and a fragmented view of their financial transactions, which can lead to human error. 

Solution: Airwallex’s accounting software integrations 

Airwallex’s integration with Xero transformed how they manage and reconcile their finances. All their expenses, customer payments, and invoices can easily be viewed within one dashboard. The ability to oversee their finances in real time allowed Little Blossom to maintain a clear financial picture with minimal effort. Airwallex's solution proved invaluable, offering them a level of efficiency and accuracy that perfectly complemented their growing needs.

Challenge 2: Paying multiple bills manually

At first, Little Blossom could pay bills in batches directly from Xero to their bank account. But when their bank stopped supporting this feature, they had to settle multiple bill payments one at a time, which ate into their productivity.  

Solution: Automated accounts payable with Airwallex Bill Pay

With Airwallex, Little Blossom unlocked a smarter way to handle multiple bill payments.  No more manual payment setups or worrying about due dates - they could automate the payment process for multiple bills and sync these transactions with Xero. This not only ensured that bills were paid promptly; expenses and bills paid through Airwallex were instantly synced to Xero for automatic reconciliation against the bank feed. 

Challenge 3: Manual processes for employee expense claims

Little Blossom’s lean team regularly handles expenses like business travel, Facebook ads and Shopify subscriptions. The cumbersome process of paying with their personal cards and submitting claims was a challenge, prompting them to seek a more empowering and streamlined solution for employee expenses. 

Solution: Airwallex’s Multi-currency Borderless Cards  

With the Airwallex Borderless Card, employee expenses stopped being a time-consuming task and became a streamlined process. The Little Blossom team could instantly issue virtual or physical cards for each employee and had a real-time view of all employee spend. 

Paying for Facebook ads in USD through the cards also became cost-effective, as Little Blossom had access to better FX rates and minimal transaction fees. They also enjoyed 1% unlimited cashback on payments with the Borderless Card. Every transaction, no matter the size, now contributes back to their bottom line, turning recurring expenses into opportunities for savings. 

On top of this, the ease of tracking expenses by employee and by category unlocked a new level of clarity. This feature not only simplifies financial monitoring; it also allows the Little Blossom team to make informed financial decisions and create a culture of responsible spending.

Gillian Choo

Co-founder

"With Airwallex, we can instantly issue employee cards and categorise international expenses for things like business travel or social media marketing. It's now easier than ever to manage our finances."

Challenge 4: Fees and forex risk when paying overseas suppliers in USD

Little Blossom’s overseas suppliers preferred getting paid in USD, an arrangement that exposed them to the unpredictable forex market. Fluctuating exchange rates and high transfer fees can chip away at a new business’s financial efficiency.

Solution: Airwallex’s market-leading FX rates and low-fee transfers 

By using Airwallex for their supplier payments, Little Blossom got access to friendly exchange rates, which minimised the impact of forex movements on their profits. The ability to instantly open a USD account allowed them to send, receive, and hold USD, without unnecessary conversion fees. 

As Little Blossom’s payout amounts grew, securing a fintech partner who could facilitate large transactions became critical. Airwallex emerged as the perfect ally. Their ability to handle high-value payouts, with transfer limits tailored to their needs, was exactly what Little Blossom needed to scale confidently.

Airwallex is also connected to local clearing systems in 110 countries, which results in faster and more cost-effective overseas payments. These solutions supported Little Blossom’s growth and helped them navigate the global market with confidence and control.

Why an all-in-one financial platform lets Little Blossom scale quickly

Expanding overseas means increased operational complexity, from managing multiple currencies to getting a full view of each market’s performance. As a rapidly growing SME which has expanded from Singapore to multiple countries in Asia, Little Blossom needed a fintech partner that could keep pace with their needs. 

Kwek Yi Jun

Co-founder

"Before Airwallex, we juggled between multiple providers for our corporate cards, and payments. It quickly became clear that we needed a better financial solution. Now, we enjoy the convenience of an integrated solution that's really helping us grow our retail business."

Ready to streamline your financial operations just like Little Blossom did? Airwallex is here to unlock efficiency, clarity, and cost savings for your business. Open an Airwallex account today, or call us for a demo.